Optical sensing methods and systems for power applications, and the construction thereof

ABSTRACT

Optical sensing methods and systems for power applications, and the construction thereof, are described herein. An example method of constructing a winding assembly includes mounting a sensing component to a coil former, and winding a coil onto the coil former so that the sensing component is positioned within the coil. A system and method for detecting operating conditions within a transformer using the described winding assemblies are described.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/295,351 filed on Feb. 15, 2016 entitled “Optical Sensing Methods andSystems for Power Applications, and the Construction Thereof”. Thecomplete disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/295,351 isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate to optical sensing methods, and systemsthereof, for power applications, and the construction thereof. Inparticular, at least some of the described methods and systems aredirected to sensing the operating conditions within a transformer.

BACKGROUND

Faults within a power system can be difficult to detect in a timelymanner. Faults at a transformer of a power system, for example, can becaused by physical breakdowns, design flaws, and electrical and/ormagnetic flux resulting from temperature variation (e.g., hot spots)and/or physical stress. These faults can occur deep within thetransformers and can occur fairly quickly, possibly even within minutes.These faults can cause significant failures within the power system andcan even cause explosions.

Point sensors can be embedded within the power system for detectingoperating condition(s) at a specific location. To capture sufficientdata to represent the operating condition of the overall power system, asignificant number of point sensors are required to be installedthroughout the power system. A detection range of the point sensors canbe limited and so, point sensors may not detect nearby faults if theyoccur outside the detection range.

SUMMARY

The various embodiments described herein generally relate to opticalsensing methods, systems and the construction thereof.

In accordance with some embodiments, there is provided a method forconstructing a winding assembly. The method includes: mounting a sensingcomponent to a coil former; and winding a coil onto the coil former,wherein the sensing component is positioned within the coil.

In some embodiments, the sensing component includes an optical fiber,and mounting the sensing component to the coil former includes windingthe optical fiber to the coil former.

In some embodiments, the coil includes a set of primary coils and a setof secondary coils, wherein the set of primary coils has a differentnumber of turns than the set of secondary coils.

In some embodiments, the coil former includes one of a former, a core,and a portion of the coil.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: providing theformer as the coil former; and mounting the sensing component to theformer.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: mounting aset of support spacers on the former, wherein each support spacer isadapted to receive a portion of the sensing component; and positioningthe sensing component to be supported by one or more support spacers ofthe set of support spacers.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: defining aspacing in each support spacer for receiving the portion of the sensingcomponent.

In some embodiments, the spacing is selected from the group consistingof a groove, slot and an opening.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: forming aplurality of ribs longitudinally on the former, wherein each rib in theplurality of ribs is spaced from each other; and positioning the set ofsupport spacers onto one or more ribs of the plurality of ribs.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: defining aplurality of slots on the former, wherein each slot is adapted toreceive a support spacer of the set of support spacers; and mounting theset of support spacers to one or more slots of the plurality of slots.

In some embodiments, winding the coil onto the coil former includes:separating neighbouring turns within the coil with at least one spacermounted to the coil former.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: providing theportion of the coil as the coil former; and mounting the sensingcomponent to the portion of the coil.

In some embodiments, winding the coil onto the coil former includes:winding a remainder of the coil and the sensing component onto theportion of the coil acting as the coil former.

In accordance with some embodiments, there is provided a windingassembly including a sensing component mounted to a coil former, and acoil wound onto the coil former, wherein the sensing component ispositioned within the coil.

In some embodiments, the sensing component of the winding assemblyincludes an optical fiber wound to the coil former.

In some embodiments, the coil includes a set of primary coils and a setof secondary coils, wherein the set of primary coils has a differentnumber of turns than the set of secondary coils.

In some embodiments, the coil former includes one of a former, a core,and a portion of the coil.

In some embodiments, the sensing component is mounted to the former.

In some embodiments, the winding assembly described herein includes aset of support spacers mounted on the former, wherein each supportspacer is adapted to receive a portion of the sensing component, and thesensing component is supported by one or more support spacers of the setof support spacers.

In some embodiments, each support spacer of the winding assembly isdefined to have a spacing for receiving the portion of the sensingcomponent.

In some embodiments, the spacing is selected from the group consistingof a groove, slot and an opening.

In some embodiments, the winding assembly described herein includes aplurality of ribs formed longitudinally on the former, wherein each ribin the plurality of ribs is spaced from each other, and the set ofsupport spacers are positioned onto one or more ribs of the plurality ofribs.

In some embodiments, the winding assembly described herein includes aplurality of slots defined on the former, wherein each slot is adaptedto receive a support spacer of the set of support spacers; and the setof support spacers is mounted to one or more slots of the plurality ofslots.

In some embodiments, neighbouring turns of the winding assembly withinthe coil are separated with at least one spacer mounted to the coilformer.

In some embodiments, the sensing component of the winding assembly ismounted to the portion of the coil. In some embodiments, a remainder ofthe coil and the sensing component are wound onto the portion of thecoil acting as the coil former.

In accordance with some embodiments, there is provided a method fordetecting operating conditions within a transformer. The methodincludes: mounting a sensing component to a coil former of thetransformer; receiving an input optical signal from an optical source;transmitting a version of the input optical signal to the sensingcomponent, wherein the input optical signal is defined with a carrierfrequency at a Brillouin value characterized for the sensing component;receiving a plurality of reflected optical data signals from the sensingcomponent in response to an interaction between the sensing componentand the input optical signal; and analyzing the plurality of reflectedoptical data signals to detect one or more operating conditions withinthe transformer.

In some embodiments, applying the input optical signal at the Brillouinfrequency further includes applying a Brillouin Optical Time DomanAnalysis (BOTDA).

In some embodiments, the sensing component includes an optical fiber;and the method includes winding the optical fiber to the coil former.

In some embodiments, the methods described herein include: organizingthe sensing component into a plurality of zones; and analyzing theplurality of reflected optical data signals to detect the one or moreoperating conditions within the transformer includes: receiving aselection of one or more zones from the plurality of zones; identifyinga set of reflected optical data signals from the plurality of thereflected optical data signals received from the one or more zoneswithin the sensing component;

and conducting an analysis of the selected set of reflected optical datasignals to determine the one or more operating conditions at the one ormore zones.

In some embodiments, analyzing the plurality of reflected optical datasignals to detect the one or more operating conditions within thetransformer includes: detecting a variation in at least one of the oneor more operating conditions within the transformer.

In accordance with some embodiments, there is provided a system fordetecting operating conditions within a transformer. The systemincludes: a sensing component mounted to a coil former of thetransformer; an optical signal processing component for: receiving aninput optical signal from an optical source; transmitting a version ofthe input optical signal to the sensing component, wherein the versionof the input optical signal is defined with a carrier frequency at aBrillouin value characterized for the sensing component; and receiving aplurality of reflected optical data signals from the sensing componentin response to an interaction between the sensing component and theversion of the input optical signal; and a processor for analyzing theplurality of reflected optical data signals to detect one or moreoperating conditions within the transformer.

In some embodiments, the optical signal processing component appliesBrillouin Optical Time Doman Analysis (BOTDA).

In some embodiments, the sensing component includes an optical fiber andis wound to the coil former.

In some embodiments, the processor operates to detect a variation in atleast one of the one or more operating conditions within thetransformer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Several embodiments will now be described in detail with reference tothe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical sensing system in accordancewith an example embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a control system in accordance with anexample embodiment;

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of a control system in accordance withanother example embodiment;

FIG. 3A is a graph showing a waveform generated by the control system inaccordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a screenshot of a waveform generated by the control system inaccordance with another example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a partially constructed windingassembly in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a partially constructed windingassembly in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 5B is a top cross-sectional view of the partially constructedwinding assembly shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a winding assembly in accordance with anotherexample embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a top cross-sectional view of a winding assembly in accordancewith another example embodiment;

FIG. 8A is a partial perspective view of a partially constructed windingassembly in accordance with another example embodiment;

FIG. 8B is a partial perspective view of the partially constructedwinding assembly shown in FIG. 8A at a later stage of construction andwith a portion of a coil cut out;

FIG. 8C is a partial perspective view taken from the bottom of thepartially constructed winding assembly shown in FIG. 8B;

FIG. 9A is a partial perspective view of a partially constructed windingassembly in accordance with another example embodiment;

FIG. 9B is a partial perspective view of the partially constructedwinding assembly shown in FIG. 9A at a later stage of construction;

FIG. 9C is a partial perspective view of the partially constructedwinding assembly shown in FIG. 9B at a later stage of construction;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a transformer assembled with two examplewinding assemblies in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example transformer assembled withexample winding assemblies described herein;

FIG. 12A is a diagram representing a winding assembly from a topcross-sectional view in accordance with an example embodiment; and

FIG. 12B is a diagram representing a winding assembly from a topcross-sectional view in accordance with another example embodiment.

The drawings, described below, are provided for purposes ofillustration, and not of limitation, of the aspects and features ofvarious examples of embodiments described herein. For simplicity andclarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have notnecessarily been drawn to scale. The dimensions of some of the elementsmay be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. It will beappreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, whereconsidered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among thedrawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which illustrates a block diagram of anoptical sensing system 100.

The optical sensing system 100 includes a control system 120 and asensing component 110. The sensing component 110 can include an opticalfiber 130. The optical fiber 130 may be coupled with a reflector at anend away from the control system 120.

The control system 120 can apply Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis(BOTDA) for monitoring operating conditions at the sensing component110. When applying Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis (BOTDA) tooptical devices, such as the optical fiber 130, a shift within theBrillouin spectrum can represent a temperature and/or strain change atthe optical fiber 130.

The control system 120 includes an optical source 122, an optical signalprocessing component 124 and a processor 126. As shown, the processor126 is in communication with the optical source 122 and the opticalsignal processing component 124.

The optical source 122 can generate an input optical signal that willtravel within the sensing component 110. For example, the optical source122 can include a laser that can generate a continuous output beam, or acontinuous wave. The input optical signal generated by the opticalsource 122 is then directed to the optical signal processing component124. Example optical sources 122 can include a tunable laser source, anda laser diode paired with an optical filter. The optical filter may betunable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the optical signal processing component 124 receivesthe input optical signal from the optical source 122. The optical signalprocessing component 124 can preprocess the input optical signal beforetransmitting a processed optical signal to the sensing component 110.

The optical signal processing component 124 can include an electro-opticmodulator for modulating the input optical signal. The operation of theelectro-optic modulator can be triggered by the processor 126. Forexample, the processor 126 can define a modulation to be applied to theinput optical signal and can then transmit a corresponding modulationsignal to a pulse conditioning component. The pulse conditioningcomponent can then generate modulation control signals for triggeringthe operation of the electro-optic modulator. In some embodiments, thepulse conditioning component can also include a microwave generator anda DC bias component.

The DC bias component can define certain properties of the modulatedoptical signal, such as a duration of the signal. For example, the DCbias component can be pulsed at low frequency, such as a frequencywithin the kilohertz range, to define the duration of the spacingbetween the pulses to be longer than a time of flight within the opticalfiber 130. In this way, there will be no confusion between the varioussets of optical data signals returning from the optical fiber 130.

In some embodiments, an optical filter can receive the input opticalsignal from the optical source 122 for varying the input optical signal.For example, a Bragg filter can be included for narrowing the inputoptical signal.

An optical amplifier can be included in the optical signal processingcomponent 124, in some embodiments, for amplifying the input opticalsignal, or a version of the input optical signal. An example opticalamplifier includes an Erbium doped fiber amplifier.

The optical signal processing component 124 can include a directionalcomponent for directing the transmission of the input optical signal, ora version of the input optical signal, towards the sensing component110. In some embodiments, the directional component can include anoptical isolator that can prevent unwanted feedback. The opticalisolator can be positioned before or after the optical filter, theelectro-optic modulator, and/or the optical amplifier, in someembodiments.

To facilitate the transmission of the optical signals between theprocessor 126 and the sensing component 110, the optical signalprocessing component 124 includes a circulator for directing theprocessed optical signal towards the sensing component 110, and thendirecting the optical data signal received from the sensing component110 towards the processor 126 for analysis.

In the transmission path between the circulator and the processor 126,various post-processing of the optical data signal may be conducted. Forexample, the optical signal processing component 124 can include anoptical filter, such as a Bragg filter, for varying the strength of theoptical data signal. Other components, such as a photodetector and anamplifier, can also be included in the optical signal processingcomponent 124 for processing the optical data signal before transmittinga processed optical data signal to the processor 126.

Example implementations of the control system 120 are shown in FIGS. 2Aand 2B.

As shown in FIG. 2A, an example control system 120A can include anoptical signal processing component 124A with an optical isolator 150and a circulator 152. The optical isolator 150 can receive an inputoptical signal from the optical source 122 and direct the input opticalsignal towards the circulator 152 while preventing unwanted feedbacksignals from flowing towards the optical source 122. The circulator 152can then direct the input optical signal towards the sensing component110, as well as receive optical data signals from the sensing component110.

FIG. 2B shows another example control system 120B. The control system120B can include an optical signal processing component 124B as shown.The optical signal processing component 124B can include anelectro-optic modulator 160 that receives an input optical signal fromthe optical source 122.

The optical source 122 can be a continuous wave laser. The laser can becontinuously pulsed at the desired frequency, such as approximately 12GHz for a silica optical fiber 130. The DC bias component within thepulse conditioning component 166 can also be continuously pulsed withinthe kilohertz range to generate a low frequency pulses on top of highfrequency pulse generated by the laser. The laser pulses can generatethe Brillouin sidebands (e.g., such as 184 a, 184 b shown in FIG. 3A)and the low frequency pulses generated by the DC bias component signalallows for the time domain analysis.

The electro-optic modulator 160 can modulate the input optical signal tosquare laser pulses. The square laser pulses, depending on the intendedsensing component 110 and its environment can be within a kilohertzrange. For conducting the Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis(BOTDA), the electro-optic modulator 160 can generate two side bandswith an equal frequency shift around the Brillouin frequency (or themain carrier frequency) corresponding to the sensing component 110.

A pulse conditioning component 166 can include a microwave generator fortuning the frequency shift of the sidebands generated by theelectro-optic modulator 160. The frequency shift of the sidebands isrecorded by the processor 126.

For sensing components 110 in which silica optical fibers are used, theBrillouin frequency is approximately 12GHz. FIG. 3A illustrates anexample waveform 180 of a modulated signal generated by theelectro-optic modulator 160 for an optical fiber characterized with aBrillouin value of approximately 12GHz. As shown in FIG. 3A, themodulated signal has three peaks. A main carrier peak 182 is generatedby the optical source 122, side peak 184 a is the Stokes component ofthe Brillouin reflection and side peak 184 b is the anti-Stokescomponent.

The electro-optic modulator 160 can then transmit a modulated opticalsignal towards an optical amplifier 162, which can direct a version ofthe modulated optical signal towards a circulator 164. From thecirculator 164, the version of the modulated optical signal propagatesinto the sensing component 110. In an optical fiber 130, for example,the pulses of the modulated optical signal within the center frequency(e.g., main carrier peak 182) interact with a back-reflected Stokessideband. The circulator 164 then receives a reflected data signal anddirects the reflected data signal to a photodetector 170.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a filter component 168, such as a Bragg filter, canprocess the reflected data signal from the optical fiber 130 so thatonly the optical signal within the Stokes band is transmitted to theprocessor 126. FIG. 3B shows a screenshot of an example waveform 190representing a Stokes signal 192 processed by the Bragg filter. Anamplifier component 172 can be positioned between the photodetector 170and the processor 126.

The processor 126 can then record the received Stokes band signal as afunction of its frequency shift and time, relative to each of the squarelaser pulse generated by the electro-optic modulator 160. The timeassociated with the Stokes signal can also correspond to a distancetravelled along the optical fiber 130. Using the recorded Stokessignals, the processor 126 can then spatially resolve an operatingcondition of the optical fiber 130, such as temperature and/or strain.As a temperature of the optical fiber 130 at a particular regionchanges, a resulting Stokes signal returning from that region will vary.By adjusting the carrier frequency, the control system 120 can detect ashifting Stokes frequency.

In some embodiments, the processor 126 can generate a set ofthree-dimensional time domain waveforms with respect to time, frequencyand power to track the temperature of the various regions of the opticalfiber 130, and thus, the operating conditions of the transformer inwhich the optical fiber 130 is mounted.

As will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 12B, the sensingcomponent 110 can be installed within a transformer for monitoring theoperating conditions of the transformer.

During operation, the internal environment of the transformer can changequickly and, as a result, faults can occur rapidly. Faults within atransformer can be caused by physical breakdowns, design flaws, andelectrical and/or magnetic flux resulting from temperature variation(e.g., hot spots) and/or physical stress. These faults can causesignificant failures within the power system and can even causeexplosions. It is, therefore, important to detect faults inside thetransformer within a reasonable time and with a reasonable degree ofaccuracy with respect to the location of the fault. The internalenvironment of the transformer can also be harsh due to the exposure tocorrosive chemicals.

By distributing the optical fiber 130 within the transformer, thedetection range of the sensing component can be increased. The opticalfiber 130 may, in some embodiments, be wound around a coil former of thetransformer more than once. The resulting measurement data collectedfrom each location within the transformer can be increased. The opticalfiber 130 is also well insulated and thus, is protected from thecorrosive environment.

The construction of the optical sensing system 100 for transformers caninclude mounting the sensing component 110 to a coil former of thetransformer. A coil is then wound onto the coil former so that thesensing component 110 becomes positioned within the coil. The coilformer is a structure around which a coil of the transformer is wound.As will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 12B, the coil formercan include the core or the former.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example partially constructed windingassembly 200.

The winding assembly 200 includes the core 202 around which an opticalfiber 230 and a coil 204 are wound. The optical fiber 230, in someembodiments, can be wound to the winding assembly 200 as multipleseparate segments. Although multiple turns of the optical fiber 230 isshown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the optical fiber 230 can be wounda fewer number of turns around the core 202.

The coil 204 is wound separately from the optical fiber 230. It ispossible that the coil 204 is wound closer to the optical fiber 230 sothat the turns in each of the optical fiber 230 and coil 204 are closerin proximity to each other and, in some embodiments, even in contact. InFIG. 4, the coil 204 and the optical fiber 230 are alternately woundonto the core 202. In some embodiments, the coil 204 can be wound at oneend or either ends of the core 202, or the coil 204 can be wound ontothe core 202 at every other turn of the optical fiber 230.

The coil 204 shown in FIG. 4 may be a set of secondary coils. A set ofprimary coils can be layered on top of the secondary coils to completethe construction of the winding assembly 200.

By wounding the optical fiber 230 and coil 204 separately from eachother, the cross-section of the optical fiber 230 will not be exposed tothe physical pressure exerted onto the transformer as a whole when thecore 202 is being assembled. Protecting the optical fiber 230 fromphysical stress during the construction stage can be important since theoptical properties of the optical fiber 230 are dependent on itsphysical properties. An example transformer will be described withreference to each of FIGS. 10 and 11.

In the example winding assembly 200 shown in FIG. 4 the sensingcomponent 110 is mounted to the core 202. In some embodiments, thesensing component 110 can be embedded within the coil 204 directly. Forexample, in a layer winding formation, a flat sheet of conductivematerial can act as the coil 204. A portion of the coil 204 can be woundto act as the coil former. The sensing component 110 can then be mountedto the initial portion of the coil 204 that is acting as the coilformer, and be wound with the remaining portion of the coil 204 onto thecoil former to form a winding assembly. The sensing component 110 can beprotected by an insulating material, such as tape and/or epoxy.

In some embodiments described herein, a support element can be mountedto the coil former for supporting the sensing component 110 with respectto the coil 204 and the coil former.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view 300A of an example partially constructedwinding assembly 300 and FIG. 5B is a top cross-sectional view 300B ofthe partially constructed winding assembly 300 shown in FIG. 5A. For theexample winding assembly 300, the coil former is a former 350.

The partially constructed winding assembly 300 in this example has onlybeen constructed to be wound with one turn of an optical fiber 330. Thewinding assembly 300 may be constructed with further turns of theoptical fiber 330. For winding assemblies 300 constructed with one turnof the optical fiber 330, the optical fiber 330 can be wound at anapproximately central location relative to a height of the windingassembly 300.

In the example shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a support element is used forpositioning the optical fiber 330 with respect to the former 350. Thesupport element includes a set of support spacers, which are showngenerally at 360.

The support spacers 362 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B can be formed fromspacers adapted for supporting at least a portion of the sensingcomponent 110. During construction of winding assemblies, spacers can beused to insulate and separate neighbouring turns of a coil 204 from eachother. Spacers may be formed of pressed paper, in some embodiments. Toact as a support element, the support spacer 362 is defined with aspacing 364 for receiving the sensing component 110. The spacing 364 canbe formed in various ways and can include a groove, a slot or anopening, for example.

In constructing the winding assembly 300, the former 350 is defined witha plurality of slots, which are shown generally at 352. Each slot 354within the plurality of slots 352 is adapted to receive a support spacer362. The slot 354 can be an opening defined in the former 350 forengagingly receiving the support spacer 362. The set of support spacers360 is mounted to the slots 352.

As shown in FIG. 5A, each support spacer 362 has a groove 364 forreceiving a portion of the optical fiber 330. The optical fiber 330 ispositioned away from a surface of the former 350. A coil (not shown) canthen be wound onto the former 350 above and below the support spacers362 to form one or more concentric layers around the former 350. As thecoil is wound onto the former 350, the optical fiber 330 becomespositioned within the coil.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an example winding assembly 400.

Similar to the winding assembly 300 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, thewinding assembly 400 includes a former 450 as the coil former. Thesupport element for positioning the sensing component 110 with respectto the former 450 includes a set of support spacers, which are showngenerally at 460. The sensing component 110 includes an optical fiber430, which is positioned relative to the former 450 via the spacing ineach support spacers 462. As shown in FIG. 6, a set of spacers, whichare shown generally at 470, are mounted to the former 450 for separatingeach turn of a coil 404 wound above and below the set of support spacers460.

FIG. 7 is a top cross-sectional view of an example partially constructedwinding assembly 500. The winding assembly 500 includes a former 550 asthe coil former, similar to the winding assemblies 300 and 400. However,unlike the winding assembly 300 shown in FIG. 5B, each of the supportspacers 562 mounted to the winding assembly 500 is defined with twospacings 564 a and 564 b for receiving two corresponding turns, 532 and534, of the optical fiber 530. In some embodiments, the support spacers562 can be defined with more than two spacings 564 for receiving morethan two corresponding turns of the optical fiber 530.

FIG. 8A is a partial perspective view 600A of an example partiallyconstructed winding assembly 600. The coil former in the windingassembly 600 is a former 650.

Unlike the winding assemblies 300, 400 and 500, the set of supportspacers 660 are positioned onto a plurality of ribs, which are showngenerally at 653. A first layer of support spacers 660 a is positionedonto the plurality of ribs 653 and a subsequent layer of support spacers660 b is positioned onto the plurality of ribs 653. Although only twolayers 660 a, 660 b of support spacers 662 are shown in FIG. 8A, morelayers of support spacers 662 can be positioned onto the ribs 654,depending on the design parameters of the winding assembly 600.

The plurality of ribs 653 is formed longitudinally on the former 650.Each rib 654, as shown in FIG. 8A, is spaced from each other. Eachsupport spacer 662 is defined with a spacing 664 for receiving a portionof the optical fiber 630.

FIG. 8B is a partial perspective view 600B of the partially constructedwinding assembly 600 shown in FIG. 8A at a later stage of constructionand with a portion of a layer of the coil 604 cut out, and can bereferred to as a version of the partially constructed winding assembly600′. FIG. 8C shows a partial bottom perspective view 600C of thepartially constructed winding assembly 600′ shown in FIG. 8B.

As shown in each of FIGS. 8B and 8C, the coil 604 is wound onto theformer 650 above and below the support spacers 662. A first layer of thecoil 604 is shown at 604 a and a second layer of the coil 604 is shownat 604 b. For illustrative purposes, the first layer 604 a is cut out toshow the winding of the optical fiber 630 from the first layer 660 a tothe second layer 660 b. FIG. 8C illustrates a bottom view of the secondlayer 660 b of support spacers 662 and the positioning of the opticalfiber 630 with respect to the support spacers 662 and the second layer604 b of the coil 604.

In some embodiments, each layer of the coil 604 can include a set ofprimary coils and a set of secondary coils. The set of primary coils hasa different number of turns than the set of secondary coils, and can bewound concentric to the set of secondary coils.

FIGS. 9A to 9C show another example winding assembly 700 at differentstages of construction. Unlike the winding assembly shown in FIGS. 8A to8C, the winding assembly 700 (similar to the winding assembly 500 shownin FIG. 7) is constructed with support spacers 762 with two grooves, 764a and 764 b.

FIG. 9A is a partial perspective view 700A of the winding assembly 700.An optical fiber 730 is shown to be positioned onto a groove 764 b of asupport spacer 762 in a first layer 760 a of support spacers. A secondlayer 760 b of support spacers is also shown in FIG. 9A. The first layer760 a and second layer 760 b of support spacers are mounted to some ofthe ribs 754 on the former 750. Above the first layer 760 a of supportspacers is a first layer 704 a of coil. A second layer 704 b of coil iswound between the first layer 760 a and second layer 760 b of supportspacers.

FIG. 9B is a partial perspective view 700B of the winding assembly 700at a later stage in construction (which can be referred to as windingassembly 700′). As shown more clearly in FIG. 9B, each of the supportspacers 762 includes two grooves 764 a, 764 b for receiving two turns ofthe optical fiber 730. Another partial perspective view 700C of thewinding assembly shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B at a later stage ofconstruction is shown in FIG. 9C (which can be referred to as windingassembly 700″).

FIG. 10 is a side view of an example transformer 800 assembled with twoexample winding assemblies 820 and a core 810 formed of two limbs 802, abottom plate 806 and a top plate 808.

The winding assembly 820 includes a former 850 as the coil former, anoptical fiber 830 positioned on a set of support spacers 860, and a coil804 wound onto the former 850 and between a set of spacers 870.

To construct the transformer 800, each winding assembly 820 is fittedthrough a respective limb 802 and rest on the bottom plate 806. The topplate 808 is then fitted onto the limbs 802 to complete the constructionof the transformer 800.

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of another example transformer900 constructed assembled with example winding assemblies 950.

In some embodiments, depending on the design of the transformer 700,900, the winding assemblies 820, 950 can be differently constructed. Forexample, the number of turns in the coil may be different.

For monitoring the operating conditions of the transformer, a sensingcomponent 110 mounted to the transformer can be organized into multipledifferent zones. The various different zones enable the processor 126 tofocus the analysis to certain regions within the transformer. Forexample, certain regions within the transformer may be more likely tosustain faults, or the operating conditions in those regions are morelikely to rapidly change and therefore, require more concentratedmonitoring. As a result, the processor 126 may analyze the data signalsreturning from those regions more frequently than the data signals fromother regions. The processing load at the processor 126 can, thus, beredistributed, and unnecessary processing can be minimized.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate different zones that can be defined for thesensing component 110.

FIG. 12A shows a diagram 1000A representing an example winding assembly1000 from a top cross-sectional view.

The sensing component 110 mounted to the winding assembly 1000 is anoptical fiber 1030. The optical fiber 1030 can be wound around a coilformer 1050 as shown in FIG. 12A. For tracking the optical data signalsreceived from the optical fiber 1030, the processor 126 can define theoptical fiber 1030 into multiple zones 1080 with reference to thecross-sectional area of the coil former 1050. For example, as shown inFIG. 12A, a first zone 1080 a can be defined for a first region of thecoil former 1050, a second zone 1080 b can be defined for a secondregion of the coil former 1050, a third zone 1080 c can be defined for athird region of the coil former 1050, and a fourth zone 1080 d can bedefined for a fourth region of the coil former 1050.

FIG. 12B shows another diagram 1000B representing the winding assembly1000.

Unlike the organization of the zones 1080 shown in FIG. 12A, theprocessor 126 can define the optical fiber 1030 into zones 1082 based onsegments of the optical fiber 1030. For example, as shown in FIG. 12B,the processor 126 can define a first segment of the optical fiber 1030as a first zone 1082 a, a second segment of the optical fiber 1030 as asecond zone 1082 b, a third segment of the optical fiber 1030 as a thirdzone 1082 c, a fourth segment of the optical fiber 1030 as a fourth zone1082 d, a fifth segment of the optical fiber 1030 as a fifth zone 1082e, a sixth segment of the optical fiber 1030 as a sixth zone 1082 f, anda seventh segment of the optical fiber 1030 as a seventh zone 1082 g.

It will be understood that the size of each of the zones 1080, 1082 canbe varied with user preferences and/or design parameters of the overalloptical sensing system 100.

It will be appreciated that numerous specific details are describedherein in order to provide a thorough understanding of the describedexample embodiments. However, it will be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not toobscure the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, this descriptionand the drawings are not to be considered as limiting the scope of theembodiments described herein in any way, but rather as merely describingthe implementation of the various embodiments described herein.

It should be noted that terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about”and “approximately” when used herein mean a reasonable amount ofdeviation of the modified term such that the end result is notsignificantly changed. These terms of degree should be construed asincluding a deviation of the modified term if this deviation would notnegate the meaning of the term it modifies.

In addition, as used herein, the wording “and/or” is intended torepresent an inclusive-or. That is, “X and/or Y” is intended to mean Xor Y or both, for example. As a further example, “X, Y, and/or Z” isintended to mean X or Y or Z or any combination thereof.

It should be noted that the term “coupled” used herein indicates thattwo elements can be directly coupled to one another or coupled to oneanother through one or more intermediate elements.

The embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may beimplemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. Theseembodiments may be implemented in computer programs executing onprogrammable computers, each computer including at least one processor,a data storage system (including volatile memory or non-volatile memoryor other data storage elements or a combination thereof), and at leastone communication interface. For example and without limitation, theprogrammable computers (referred to below as computing devices) may be aserver, network appliance, embedded device, computer expansion module, apersonal computer, laptop, personal data assistant, cellular telephone,smart-phone device, tablet computer, a wireless device or any othercomputing device capable of being configured to carry out the methodsdescribed herein.

Various embodiments have been described herein by way of example only.Various modification and variations may be made to these exampleembodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, which is limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of constructing a winding assembly, the methodcomprising: mounting a sensing component to a coil former; and winding acoil onto the coil former, wherein the sensing component is positionedwithin the coil.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensingcomponent comprises an optical fiber; and mounting the sensing componentto the coil former comprises: winding the optical fiber to the coilformer.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coil comprises a set ofprimary coils and a set of secondary coils, the set of primary coilshaving a different number of turns than the set of secondary coils. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the coil former comprises one of aformer, a core, and a portion of the coil.
 5. The method of claim 4comprises: providing the former as the coil former; and mounting thesensing component to the former.
 6. The method of claim 5 comprises:mounting a set of support spacers on the former, wherein each supportspacer is adapted to receive a portion of the sensing component; andpositioning the sensing component to be supported by one or more supportspacers of the set of support spacers.
 7. The method of claim 6comprises: defining a spacing in each support spacer for receiving theportion of the sensing component.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein thespacing is selected from the group consisting of a groove, slot and anopening.
 9. The method of claim 6 comprises: forming a plurality of ribslongitudinally on the former, wherein each rib in the plurality of ribsis spaced from each other; and positioning the set of support spacersonto one or more ribs of the plurality of ribs.
 10. The method of claim6 comprises: defining a plurality of slots on the former, wherein eachslot is adapted to receive a support spacer of the set of supportspacers; and mounting the set of support spacers to one or more slots ofthe plurality of slots.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein winding thecoil onto the coil former comprises: separating neighbouring turnswithin the coil with at least one spacer mounted to the coil former. 12.The method of claim 4 comprises: providing the portion of the coil asthe coil former; and mounting the sensing component to the portion ofthe coil.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein winding the coil onto thecoil former comprises: winding a remainder of the coil and the sensingcomponent onto the portion of the coil acting as the coil former.
 14. Awinding assembly comprising: a sensing component mounted to a coilformer; and a coil wound onto the coil former, wherein the sensingcomponent is positioned within the coil.
 15. The winding assembly ofclaim 14, wherein: the sensing component comprises an optical fiberwound to the coil former.
 16. The winding assembly of claim 14, whereinthe coil comprises a set of primary coils and a set of secondary coils,the set of primary coils having a different number of turns than the setof secondary coils.
 17. The winding assembly of claim 14, wherein thecoil former comprises one of a former, a core, and a portion of thecoil.
 18. The winding assembly of claim 17, wherein: the sensingcomponent is mounted to the former.
 19. The winding assembly of claim 18comprises: a set of support spacers mounted on the former, wherein eachsupport spacer is adapted to receive a portion of the sensing component;and the sensing component is supported by one or more support spacers ofthe set of support spacers.
 20. The winding assembly of claim 19,wherein: each support spacer is defined to have a spacing for receivingthe portion of the sensing component.
 21. The winding assembly of claim20, wherein the spacing is selected from the group consisting of agroove, slot and an opening.
 22. The winding assembly of claim 19comprises: a plurality of ribs formed longitudinally on the former,wherein each rib in the plurality of ribs is spaced from each other; andthe set of support spacers are positioned onto one or more ribs of theplurality of ribs.
 23. The winding assembly of claim 19 comprises: aplurality of slots defined on the former, wherein each slot is adaptedto receive a support spacer of the set of support spacers; and the setof support spacers is mounted to one or more slots of the plurality ofslots.
 24. The winding assembly of claim 14, wherein: neighbouring turnswithin the coil are separated with at least one spacer mounted to thecoil former.
 25. The winding assembly of claim 17 wherein: the sensingcomponent is mounted to the portion of the coil.
 26. The windingassembly of claim 25, wherein a remainder of the coil and the sensingcomponent are wound onto the portion of the coil acting as the coilformer.